The present invention relates to a voice communication device with foreign language translation. Given the widespread availability of travel the need for foreign language translation has increased. The present invention has applications in numerous areas and instances where foreign language translation is desirable. One particular application of the present invention is in military applications.
U.S. troops have often been required to render assistance in numerous foreign environments. For example, U.S. troops have been used as members of peacekeeping forces in various countries. Further, U.S. troops have been deployed to counter terrorism in the Middle East. In these and other situations, these military personnel are placed at a disadvantage and are potentially subjected to dangers, heightened by the fact that these personnel are unable to speak the native languages used by the people around them. In these types of missions, there is an acute need to be able to understand the locals or natives. The military personnel have a huge and heavy burden of administering justice by neutralizing threats without compromising the safety of innocents in an effort to reduce or eliminate any collateral damage. This places military personnel in a difficult situation.
The identification of potential threats would be aided if the military personnel could understand the language used by the people around them. Knowledge of a foreign language has long been considered an asset in the military. For example, Green Berets are required to speak at least a second language. Nevertheless, given the tenure of today's society where it is not known where conflict may arise and it is not known what language military personnel should be versed in, it is not practical to have sufficient numbers of troops who speak every language that is needed. This problem is further complicated by the fact that there are numerous dialects associated with various languages. Further, even if some troops are skilled in a particular language, it is impractical for every troop to be skilled in that language. Therefore, problems remain.
These same problems are also prevalent in contexts outside of the military. For example, people involved in business, education, and even tourists have reason to speak languages beyond their native tongue. Learning a foreign language can be time-consuming, and many people may not have the time or discipline to do so. Further, many people have the need to communicate in a variety of foreign languages, and it is often impractical for these people to learn every foreign language they might encounter.
Therefore, as a primary object of the present invention to improve upon the state of the art.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a voice communication device which provides for foreign language translation.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a voice communication device which is nonocclusive in nature.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a voice communication device that is small and lightweight.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a voice communication device that a soldier can wear in conjunction with a helmet.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a voice communication device that is capable of listening in on voice communications that may be outside the range of normal human hearing.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a voice communication device that is capable of listening to voice conversations in multiple directions relative to the operator of the voice communications device.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from that which is now described.